The Orange Hooded Boy And The Girl Who Read
by smiles555fofo
Summary: AU She was a girl finishing a book assignment. He was a boy who jogged by her house. At first it was a routine she was used to, but never did Tsuna think that she would fall in love with an extreme idiot. Literally. 33FEM27 onesided 1827
1. Chapter 1

The Orange-Hooded Boy and the Girl Who Read

Summary: AU He was just a boy with an orange-hood who runs pass her house everyday, and she was just a girl who was trying to finish a reading assignment. At first, it was just a routine that became part of her life, but little did she know that she would end up falling in love with an extreme idiot. Literally. 33FEM!2718

Notes: This is just a story that I came up with whenever I have writer's block or whatnot. I'll try not to make it drabble-like and actually make the chapters flow smoothly. However, this story is not one of my main focuses such as Edition To My Heart or Angel Return, Angel Reborn. Another thing, I chose Sasagawa and Tsuna as the pair due to the lack of stories about them. I honestly have no idea why there aren't more stories about them; Ryohei is so awesome! Wah…

Warnings: This is 3327 with some 1827. SempaisXKohai…whoa. Another thing, this has FEMALE Tsuna as the heroine, so if you rather read boyXboy or downright don't like the gender-change, then I suggest you click another story to read.

Disclaimer: I do not own Katekyo Hitman Reborn! DUR.

* * *

"The laboratory was in ruins: the walls collapsed, the tile flooring was littered with giant gaps, and the computer generators were demolished. Because the technology that was supported by a great electric power source was destroyed by the impact, a spark enflamed and was fed by the remains, thus the yellow and blue flames evolved into a wild fire. As the smoke escaped through the holes that were created and to the outside world, the fire licked its way upwards whilst devouring the construction.

"A girl was kneeling, breathing heavily. Her apparel was that of a simple gown, which was drenched in blood and was layered in dust. Situated upon her shoulder blades was a pair of lengthy limbs that arched downwards. The limbs were coated with a pale, feathery substance that fluttered when the smoke arose, and blanketed the girl's frail body, acting somewhat as a shield—"

"Tsu-chan, please! When you're reading, at least read in your head!" her mother pleaded.

"But I can't concentrate!" she insisted. "The movers are practically screaming to one another and it's hard to read with all this noise."

Her mother rested her hands on her waist and frowned. "Well I don't want to hear a paragraph about how a man pukes out blood—"

"Jeez Mom, thanks for spoiling it for me."

"Can you at least whisper that part? You know how I don't like gory stuff."

"Fine," Tsuna sighed, and continued with her reading. "In a close distance, there was a man who lied limply on the ground. There was a deep gash running across his chest, and upon his skull was a large bruise. He extended his arm forward, his eyes directed at the girl, and as he attempted to utter a sentence he gargled and violently vomited blood. The girl witnessed this and screamed, her limbs huddling closer." From there, she scrunched up her nose and from the corner of her eye she noticed her mother mouthing the words 'I told you so'. She rolled her eyes and continued to the next paragraph.

"Another man, younger and unwounded, bolted towards the adult. The boy constricted his grip on the painted dagger and thrust the weapon into the throat of the man and tore away the flesh. The man's eyes widened, his body struggled, and then he stilled. This time, the girl had her eyes closed, but her shoulders shook in fear and bewilderment. The boy straightened his back and idly wiped the new blood on his rusty-colored shirt, and faced the girl."

Tsuna slammed the book shut with a gum wrapper substituted as a mark. "I cannot believe that my new school is assigning us to read this," she grumbled. "Paper cuts I can handle, but slaughter?"

"Oh honey, it's not all about violence. It is a tale about a wondrous adventure of a winged girl and a boy who was experimented by evil scientists," her mother said, kissing her forehead. "Besides, this is to help you improve on your writing skills when you have essays to write."

"I'm pretty sure I didn't have to read something so complicated and weird at my old school," Tsuna grumbled, but her mother didn't hear her—she was distracted by a mover who asked her how their sofa should be situated. Tsuna sighed and went inside the car in order to obtain silence so that she may be able to comprehend the words easier. Now secluded by the hollers and the loud clanks of furniture against the metal surface of the truck, she nestled onto the seat and positioned the book comfortably in front of her.

She began reading, "The boy straightened his back and idly wiped the new blood on his rusty-colored shirt, and faced the girl.

""Stand up," he commanded. "It is over."

"She whimpered and did not stand.

"He grounded his teeth and walked towards her. He fisted her hair and dragged her upwards, receiving a startled cry. "Are you deaf? I told you to stand!"" So far, she did not like the character Gaston.

""Leave her alone, Gaston." Men dressed in protective suits and air tanks surrounded the area with quick steps. Before them was another man wearing a similar suit, but on his helmet was a star symbolizing his leadership.

"She's likely illiterate; after all, she was a test subject—just like how you were."

"Gaston narrowed his eyes. "And just what are you insinuating?" he demanded hotly.

""Perhaps later. This place is going to collapse soon and we have to go. Can you pick up the girl?"" Tsuna paused for a second when her mother glanced at her way, and then continued when the woman smiled at her. "Gaston grunted as a reply and hoisted the girl over his shoulder."

She halted on her reading when the passage led to a dialogue between two male characters that apparently held important roles in their world. The conversation caused her confusion; one character was explaining of the incident at a laboratory whilst the other listed names of the mutated test-subjects. It sounded out of place, so she had to go back and reread it until she managed to understand what was going on.

So far, there weren't any Japanese names that she recognized, or any foreigner name she could pronounce simply. Why would a Japanese writer—Koyobawa Makoto—create a book when there aren't any Japanese relations whatsoever? It was frustrating how she had to adapt to the unfamiliar wordings.

"Gaston was a tall and broad-shouldered fellow with a bold jaw-line and muscled features."

Whoa.

It was bewildering, but soon Tsuna became involved with the sentences, the descriptions, every detail that embellished the illustrations her mind portrayed. It was strange how all of a sudden she became hypnotized after finishing the third chapter. For the first time of her life, she _actually _found a book that was _interesting. _And despite the unpleasant introduction, it really did tie along with the story, thus causing her to be more attentive with each sentence.

And it wasn't because Gaston sounded…cute.

The book was truly amazing and her mind quenched for more. It was ironic, but it was like riding a roller coaster that would travel into several different directions with spins, turns, and falls. The texts evolved from plain and dull into eerie and intriguing. It could be because she attempted on understanding the story line rather than scan the words whilst feeling bored like how she usually does it. Perhaps she should do this more often when reading. Would this work with her textbooks then? Probably not.

"Gaston's eyes sharpened, causing Jillian to flinch. "Well?" he snapped."

Gaston still doesn't like Jillian—the girl who has wings. And Jillian appears to not like Gaston back, but is too afraid to express her feelings. Tsuna plopped her chin upon her palm and closed the book, the gum wrapper in place. It oddly related to some love story; obviously, there would be a bond slowly establishing between Gaston and Jillian because it focuses on the two mainly. Will it be a love story?

It surely did seem convincing that it would be a love story. Gaston and Jillian was a remarkably matching pair; whilst Gaston was the hot-headed and belligerent protector and Jillian was the timid, pure-hearted maid—or angel, due to her wings. It reminded Tsuna vaguely of Beauty and the Beast, whereas the Beast was Gaston—because their personalities were alike—and the Beauty was Jillian. However, there was a character in Beauty and the Beast named Gaston, and he was the main antagonist.

Tsuna tapped her chin and thought. Well, if Gaston were to become the antagonist of the story that would definitely be upsetting. There couldn't possibly anyone to replace Gaston for Jillian.

She opened the book and read, "There was nothing for the girl to respond, for she was illiterate. She did not fathom the language he spoke, yet could interpret that he was angered for a reason she was not aware of. As she steadied her stick-like arms to signal gestures, the only communication she could offer, Jillian paused."

Just when Jillian had paused on her actions, Tsuna paused on her reading when a flash of a bright color attracted her eyes. She looked up and saw a boy running pass her new street wearing an orange sweater with the hood covering his head.

"Tsu-chan!" Her mother opened the door and called out. "Tsu-chan, come on! We have neighbors to greet," she exclaimed excitedly.

"Um, okay." Tsuna glanced at the window again and was surprised to see that it was evening already—they had arrived here in the morning and it was astonishing to see how much time had passed. She then stepped out of the car with the book tucked underneath her arm.

* * *

Sawada Tsunayoshi recently moved to Namimori when her school had ended for break due to her father's profession. In her parents' perspective, they believed that their daughter would be drowning in depression that a switch of their location would be suddenly made, and that she would have to abandon her friends because of the far distance. However, their belief was quite the opposite. In fact, Tsuna did not care and was rather satisfied of departing their old home.

At her old school, she was recognized as Dame-Tsuna considering her flaws as a student: athleticism, intelligence, and attentiveness to the teachers' lectures. She also carried dreaded competent of being clumsy and being a magnet for balls—especially directed at her face. Tsuna also wasn't very social due to her timid self during the years, so she was a loner. Meanwhile, her parents were oblivious to this.

Now in Namimori, Tsuna hoped that she could change her reputation and acquire friendship from girls her age instead of the janitor or a stray dog that usually padded up to her whenever she returned home. Indeed, it was humiliating and it was a relief that she escaped the life as Dame-Tsuna. If she was lucky, she wouldn't become Dame-Tsuna in her new school.

Nevertheless, there was a trial that she must come to face before remaking her destiny: homework. It was a school assignment that all students must accomplish before the new year would commence, and it was despised by _all_. Finish reading a lengthy, thick book and write a page of what it was about, a page about the main characters, and a page of the reader's interest of the entire subject. Horrid. Terrible. Horrid.

However, in Tsuna's case, the homework was a piece of cake. If she weren't absorbed into the book _Journey To The Sun_, then of course it would be a bore. And writing the essay part was simple since she _knew _what to write. It was as if the book was meant for her; the book just happened to draw her in and offering her a world of thrill and wonder. Of course, the description would be an exaggeration, but it gave her a similar sensation. And it was certainly surprising; most assignments having to do with reading often suffocated her with utter boredom, but this time it differed. It even made her happy when the book was incredibly long.

But the only exception that countered her pleasure was the extended vocabulary that troubled Tsuna. She had a pocket-sized dictionary with her whilst reading in case she required assistance. Sometimes she would disregard a word, thinking that it wasn't any of importance that would benefit her later on—she knew that she wouldn't be hearing 'ergophobia' anytime soon in the future. Other times it frustrated her that a whole passage would be filled with words that she was unfamiliar with, and has to open her dictionary constantly. But because of this, she obtained information of such vocabulary. And it made her feel smart for the longest time.

There would be times where she would read on the couch or out in the backyard. It really depended on her mood. But where she usually reads is upon the sill of her bedroom window. From there, the sunlight would adjust its rays to a perfect angle, thus giving Tsuna a great light. Plus, she could have a view of her new neighborhood whenever she needed to take a break. Hence, be able to watch the boy do his daily jogging.

Every evening, there would be a boy running down the street wearing an orange sweater with the hood covering his head. She nicknamed him the orange-hooded boy. So when the orange-hooded boy would soon appear, Tsuna would either observe him from the corner of her eye or disregard him, and when his figure receded she would look up and watch him until he fully disappeared. Couple times she would idly gaze out at the window when she didn't feel like reading, and try to capture the image of his face, however, failed doing so because of the hood that shadowed his face.

Once, she had a glimpse of a bandage upon the bridge of his nose; this had brought up the assumption that he was either a fighter or had an accident. But then, considering the bandages wrapped around his knuckles, the theory that he was a fighter was greater. But what kind of fighter wears bright orange? He could possibly be colorblind, or desired the pigment like how one of her aunts decorated her entire house out of pink doilies. And if he was a fighter, what kind was he? Was he mastering karate? Kendo? Was he a yankee? She hoped that he wasn't a yankee.

"The sky was painted hues of fire and water; every pigment waning to create a perfect shade, thus commencing another enchanting sunset. Across the sky soared birds, creatures that were peculiar yet highly familiar to Jillian due to their natural acceleration and flight. The trees' leaves ruffled as the wind passed by and the grass rippled into a puddle-like pattern. The radiance of the sun slowly diminished, the beauty soon being quelled by another beauty: night.

"As the darkness eventually consumed the brilliance of colors, Jillian directed her gaze upon the remaining of the sun until the last ray vanished. The moon now substituted the source of day, and eventually stars embellished the black firmament, thus enlightening the heavens in an eerie way. However, the sky did not loose its competence of being enchanting. The scenery was something that Jillian had witnessed before—she could not recall when but it was still nostalgia. It had alerted her sensations and aroused her, a smile widening upon her fair face."

Then she paused on her reading when the orange-hooded boy appeared. Just before her eyes retreated back to the text, the boy stopped directly in front of her. She blinked and he smiled, revealing a tanned face and light, short hair. Suddenly, he waved, and she instantly returned the gesture. Then he continued with his jog.

Tsuna blinked again. "Uh…"

* * *

Chapter Review:

1) The book Tsuna was assigned to read before school commence is called _Journey To The Sun_

2) The authoress was Koyobawa Makoto, or Makoto Koyobawa if you want the surname to go last

3) The orange-hooded boy was Ryohei!

4) Tsuna and Ryohei will not meet until the next few chapters. If they meet too soon, then the story will fail.

5) I made up the book and the authoress. It will eventually tie along with the rest of the story and also _Hibari. _


	2. Chapter 2

**Notification: **Okay, so recently I have been wary of how this year was going to turn up because I did have depression before—like every single year—and wanted to kill myself. Ack! Oh no! Smiles555fofo wanted to commit suicide? Well, when you are a total misfit who is trying to consult with the bright things about life and relentlessly pray to God but is seemingly not getting an answer, what else is a kid supposed to do? Haha, I am just pulling your leg! Like I would actually tell you peoples my personal info in which I full entrusted you to understand. Ha! Like that would ever happen. Anyway, what I really was going to put is that I am going to publish a new story called Catch Me, I'm Falling. It is about 00FEM80, so you better watch out Enma and Yamamoto fans!

**Appreciation**: Thank you so much for those who have reviewed my story and those who had read my story! I admit, I was quite surprise to see some reviews for this story; I was sure that no one liked the paring 3327, or anything to do with Ryohei. Well, thanks again, you guys!

**Disclaimer: **I do not own KHR. DUR.

**Prayer: **That people would read and review my stories. AMEN!

* * *

For the past three days Tsuna had continued reading—being sucked into the universe of psychological, sci-fi, and adventure with her two favorite characters: Jillian and Gaston—upon her bedroom windowsill without regarding the orange-hooded boy anymore. It had came to her mind that somehow she had managed to catch the attention of him, and probably he was just as curious about her as she was about him. However, her curiosity vanished by the time she seen his face.

The boy did not appear as she had expected him to appear. His face, in fact, was much…friendlier than what her assumptions predicted. His eyes were livelier yet had a tinge of drowsiness, but his grin was wide and bright, almost to fight away the drowsiness. Nevertheless, she did somewhat anticipated that he would be tanned—either from his constant running that was darkened along the way or his other fighting exercises outside with his teacher or fellow fighting students. But what she didn't think about was the color of his hair; it was fairer than hers but scruffier—like a mutt.

Tsuna gave an internal sigh and hung her head. That boy—that orange-hooded boy was definitely not what she had expected him to appear as. Somewhat disappointed, she couldn't help but feel as if she had wasted her time situating upon the windowsill just because she was consumed by wonderment. The orange-hooded boy was mysterious and she wondered what he would look like; and now she knows.

He looks like some happy guy determined to do something instead of a guy who was driven with ambition and had a stoic expression. It wasn't that it really mattered on what his face was, but it was troublesome to know that she estimated the character wrong. And here she thought that after reading long chapters of _Journey To The Sun, _she might obtained an ability to theorize persona based on his routine. Apparently, a couple chapters won't do as much.

But what was more was that he not only revealed his face, but _smiled _and _waved _at her. So it appears that she acquired a friend who she wasn't intending on befriending. Perhaps someday talk to him personally, but not befriend him. Although she could always read somewhere else—the backyard, the couch, the bed where the window was nowhere near it. However, she usually reads there, so what difference would it make if she doesn't read there or not? Plus, the lighting was a hundred percent ideal reading light. But she didn't really want to observe the orange-hooded boy again, thus came to one conclusion: neglect him. Completely, and utterly ignore his existence. If he waves, do not react. If he smiles, do not react. Even if he comes by riding a unicycle whilst wearing a ridiculous clown outfit, get a glimpse, and then do not react.

Okay, she cannot stifle her reaction, especially to the clown one. Observing those feet that lightly take a step and another step, the way his arms swing back and forth, and how the vibrant pigment of his sweater catches her eyes was a routine that her life had adjusted comfortably to. So there was no way that she could suddenly make amends to it. Nope. But she could always neglect the waves and the smiles, but the clown thing is something that she has got to see…if he ever does it that is.

But it still dismayed her that her theory previously was disproven, and there weren't anymore reasons to scrutinize the boy from a distance. And she didn't quite want to become friends with him, if that was possible, since her main goal was to befriend people of the same gender and age as her so that they she could finally be involved into what girls would daily talk about: boys, clothes, cake, and whatever they like. But perhaps it wouldn't be too bad if she did become friends with him, but he was to make the first approach. If he didn't, then she wouldn't bother herself coming to him.

"Gaston leaned against a tree and looked up. "Don't take too long; the coaches will lecture me if I don't bring you back till curfew," his monotone ordered. Then he paused; of course, what did it matter if he spoke to her or not? She didn't know how to speak or the language. How idiotic he felt.

"When Jillian averted her attention to Gaston, her eyes confused, Gaston shot her a meaningful glare. By the time the girl hastily turned away, Gaston mused how much simpler it would be if she understood his commands; that way it wouldn't feel as if he was talking to a brick wall the entire time. But if she did knew what words he was saying, would she listen? The young man shook his head. Obviously, the little mutant freak was too much of an imbecile to comprehend anything, so far as he observed. However, the coaches believe otherwise; they concluded that Jillian was evolving into a remarkable and intelligent being. What farce!"

Tsuna licked her dry lips and flipped to the next page. Her eyes scanned each word that described about Gaston averting his attention to his responsibility—Jillian—curiously exploring the forests close to the faculty, the organization that was currently studying Jillian and keeping her in safe hands away from the antagonists who desired to research the organisms of the angel-figured test subject.

As she continued to another paragraph, her mother called, "Tsu-chan! Can you check the mail?"

"What? Now?" Tsuna called back, repressing a groan.

"Please! I'm busy with dinner!"

Tsuna paused, frowning, and then sighed, "Okay!"

"Thanks, Tsu-chan!"

Tsuna closed her book and went downstairs. She peered into the kitchen, seeing her mother actually occupied with dinner, and retreated back to the living room and to the door. She sighed again when her hand reached to the knob. Has she become lazy during the vacation? Perhaps, but it wasn't anything new, of course. However, rather than using her time lounging about, she was concentrating on her reading—bewildering but oh-so true. She had to pause her reading session on checking the mail; argh, couldn't she do this later? Well, with her mother busy…oh well. If she quickly finishes this, then she could return to her book.

She opened the door and idly strolled to the mailbox. It has been at least a week ever since her mother brought in mail from the box, so probably there was something in it. She sighed _again_, feeling pathetically lazy of the situation, which could be completed _easily. _

Tsuna opened the lid and brought of envelopes—probably bills and other things. Then one envelope caught her attention. "You must be kidding me—Namimori Middle School?" she muttered. "I thought she said that I would be attending Deimon Middle…" Suddenly she halted; a single glimpse of a familiar figure and color made her even more attentive.

"Oh no," she whispered. That running stance, that posture, that color…it couldn't be...The orange-hooded boy! Oh no! What should she do? Should she let him pass by? Should she ignore him? Should she? What should she do? What if he stops and begins talking to her? What would she say?

First things first, run away.

Tsuna quickly gathered the mail and slammed the lid shut. Unfortunately, while doing so, the papers littered to the ground from her arms. She let out a frustrated cry and hastily picked them up after glancing at the orange-hooded boy, who appeared to come closer and closer with a short amount of time. Jeez! He is fast! It was as if he was running instead of jogging like how he usually does in the evenings.

When all the papers were in her arms, she bolted inside the house and closed the door. This time, she freely allowed the mail to fall out of her hold as she slumped against the door, her chest thumping as she heavily panted.

"Tsu-chan," her mother exclaimed from the kitchen, "is everything all right?"

"Fine, mom," she said. "There was just a…a dog wandering on the streets. I think it was a stray."

"Oh, well then, be careful, honey. I don't want you to get hurt."

"Okay, I will."

This was more serious than she thought.

* * *

The only time that the orange-hooded boy does not appear is not during the evenings. Probably. But the chance is possibly high—or medium. Or low…

Either way, Tsuna was becoming more and more uncomfortable reading upon the windowsill and decided to walk around the neighborhood for a bit. Tsuna's mother agreed to the idea enthusiastically, thinking that her daughter might be able to find herself a friend so that her stay in Namimori wouldn't be so bad. However, Tsuna was reluctant about her obtaining a friend without going to school. How would she find a girl about her age around here? And why would she want to randomly come up to her and ask her hand in friendship?

"I'm off," Tsuna called, slinging the bag over her shoulder.

"Take care!" Nana said, waving.

Once outside, she looked to her left and then to her right. The coast was clear of orange-hooded boys. Then she felt an impulse to smack herself. Why was she getting so paranoid over a simple wave and smile of that guy? Obviously he was trying to be friendly and yet she reacted as if he was a cockroach! Well…how often do guys do that to her? Be nice to Dame-Tsuna? And they haven't even met properly yet! What if he was a creeper?

Tsuna vigorously shook her head, definitely not liking the subject to think about. She walked down the street, the same way the orange-hooded boy would jog to. It made her curious of what could be on the other side and where it leads him. Perhaps a park? Perhaps a nearby ramen shop? Perhaps his own neighborhood? …Argh, Tsuna thought, it probably wouldn't be a good idea going on this path…

But when she peered over to see what it was, it wasn't a neighborhood but a school. There was a sign in front of the gates that read 'NAMIMORI MIDDLE SCHOOL'. Tsuna blinked and looked up at the building, her eyes gazing upon the school that she was going to attend at once the vacation was over. A bubbling sensation tingled in her stomach; she was rather nervous thinking of going to a new school with new people around her. How different would it be here? Would people be nastier? Would people be nicer? How would it differ?

She slowly treaded next to the gray concrete walls that fenced the school until she reached to the ends of it. Later, she was in a little shopping district. There was a store that sold notebooks, pencils, and erasers with adorable cartoon animals; allured by the cuteness, Tsuna bought some.

The next destination was park, which was infested with mothers and their children. An unoccupied bench was situated before a playground, which Tsuna had taken a seat on. She shifted comfortably and pulled out _Journey To The Sun _from her bag; since the orange-hooded boy wasn't here, she wouldn't be distracted and could persist on reading. She opened to where the gum wrapper marked the section and read in a low whisper.

"The boy groaned in frustration as he stalked through the gnarled branches of dead bushes and thinking about the test subject's careless wanderings. How far could she have gone? Idiotic monster, Gaston thought, idiotic mutant brat. Why did she even go further without his supervision?

"He narrowed his black orbs in concentration. He needed to find Jillian before Sonya comes; otherwise, he won't be able to see her for another while."

Something orange was there!

"Hiii!" Tsuna toppled out of her seat and quickly looked up. Oh…it was just a little boy wearing an orange jacket. She hoisted herself on the bench and ran her fingers through her hair, feeling foolish. Why would he be here right now? He couldn't possibly job through this park—

Something that has mutt-like hair!

"Hiii!" Tsuna toppled out of her seat and hastily dove into a bush, which she was not aware of the strange glances she was receiving from the children who stopped playing.

Peeking through the brambles, Tsuna's eyes widened when it really was the orange-hooded boy! Except he wasn't wearing his orange sweater, but in its place was a blue shirt. Though he still had a bandage upon his nose and his fists wrapped up. Then she noticed something that she never noticed before; there was a scar on his head. Was it there before? Tsuna's eyebrows furrowed as she wondered.

Then her eyes averted to the figure next to him—a girl. A really pretty girl with big eyes and short fair hair. The two were walking, smiling, laughing, and were having a great time.

"Oh," Tsuna whispered, "he had a girlfriend."

* * *

"The girl tilted her head, her long glossy red hair cascading over her shoulders. "Who is this, Gaston?" her sugary voice questioned. She owlishly blinked her wide emerald eyes with curiosity.

"Gaston looked at the girl, and then back to Jillian, who appeared to be a plain sight compared to Sonya. "This is Jillian, the successful chimera experiment that was being tested under illegal regulations."

"Sonya gasped lightly. "A successful chimera? I—I thought those wings were, you know, decorations or something!"

""Well, they're not. Full time wings with bones and feathers and all," Gaston muttered.

""No way!" Sonya brought her face closely with Jillian's, not aware that she was making the smaller girl tensed. "Wow, her eyes are such a pretty color: amber or orange," she commented, awed.

""And yours are green. How often are peoples' eyes green?" the boy snorted.

""Several," she sniffed. She straightened out her back and smiled pleasantly. "Hi there! I'm Sonya, Gaston's soon-to-be-bride."

""You wish."

""I could say the same to you."

"Jillian, confused, glanced at Gaston's way. Gaston saw her stare and sighed. "Jillian's uneducated; she cannot understand languages and cannot read."

"Sonya's eyes widened with disbelief. "What? Then how do you communicate with her?"

""For starters, her mind is processing information like an infant. Eventually she would come to understand things. But for now, we treat her like any dumb baby." Gaston crossed his arms and huffed. "Apparently, the captains thought it would be a good idea making me into a babysitter."

""And what a wonderful babysitter you would be," Sonya laughed. "Well, just in case you come to understand our language later, I was kidding about marrying Gaston in the future. Who would?""

Tsuna closed her book, placing a mark on the next chapter. She set it on the stand beside her bed and turned off the lamp.

Today's chapter was interesting; a new character was portrayed. Sonya, apparently a close friend of Gaston's, appeared. Tsuna didn't really like the girl because it sounded as if she was intruding the growing bond between Gaston and Jillian. Was she going to interfere? Was she going to be a nuisance? Well, so far she behaved civilized and kind enough. A bit too friendly though.

Perhaps that was how Sonya's personality was supposed to be? If that was the case, how in the world was it possible for a stoic and brash boy to befriend a cheery and bright girl? Did that even resort to logic? It could have been much simpler for Gaston to establish a relationship with the quiet Jillian than the out-going Sonya. Was this a fluke that the authoress conjured accidentally?

Were the other readers surprised like how she was? And just how surprised Jillian was when Gaston hugged back the eccentric girl who wrapped her arms around his neck? Tsuna frowned in thought. How could Gaston allow this girl touch him when he glared at Jillian when she was just six inches close to him? And just because she was not rejected experiment and was not human, did that give him a full reason as to why he despised the winged girl?

"Gaston," Tsuna grumbled, pouting, "you are such an idiot."

She pulled the covers over her head and shut her eyes. Tonight, she thought, would be the night that she would try to completely forget about what had happened today: the orange-hooded boy and his girlfriend walking happily in the park. It reminded her somewhat of Gaston and Sonya, with the exception of the jogger's possible attitude. If she calculated right this time, the orange-hooded boy could be quite the opposite of Gaston. However, she had a feeling that his girlfriend could be like Sonya, who already was just as pretty as her. And because of the sight that was similar to the relation of Gaston and Sonya, Tsuna felt discontent.

Then she blinked. Wait, she could be over-thinking things…What if the girl wasn't his girlfriend?

**

* * *

**

**Notification: **The second to the next chapter would be much better! I promise. But for now, I'm working on Tsuna familiarizing with her surroundings and the supporting characters than jumping to the heroine's destined lover, the orange-hooded boy. Ha ha…Destined lover? Well, this is about 33FEM27 with some 18FEM27. PLEASE STAY TUNED!

**P.S: **Did you figure out who was that girl Sasagawa was with?


	3. Chapter 3

""I am Sonya Konny, daughter of Mistress Ursula. And would you might be?"

"Jillian giggled and attempted on her line, "A-a-awauh—Jii…"

""Very close," Sonya said. "But perhaps it would be easier for you to pass the introductory."

"Jillian responded with a cheeky grin."

* * *

Okay, so perhaps Tsuna had jumped into conclusions rather too early. So she accused Sonya of being a nuisance, so what? It wasn't as if she was _real _or _alive. _But it did make her a judgmental person. But at least Sonya wasn't real. Or alive.

Sonya happened to be a nice person and instantly gained Jillian's trust and friendship—a steadier relationship that what Gaston and Jillian shares. At first, Tsuna believed that the female character was attempting to deceive Jillian in order to get her away from Gaston, but eventually she proved to be a genuine girl who was having an enjoyable time acting out as Jillian's older sister figure. Tsuna, admittedly, thought that Sonya was a great individual. However, she did make Jillian wan in comparison, just like how Gaston saw that Jillian was plain whilst Sonya was appealing. But did that mean he had feelings for the redhead? Of course not. They were just friends; obviously, the stronger bond would develop between him and Jillian. Whether they would become a couple or be closer as friends, the story is mainly focusing upon those two, not the side characters.

Tsuna flipped to the designated page where the gum wrapper held it in place. Then she commenced her reading by saying, "The black smoke drifted against the ceiling; the stench of nauseating fumes wafted throughout the building, causing her to suffocate and her eyes to water. She clasped her hands against her mouth and nasal, and held her breath. Jillian scurried out the room and to the white corridors; unfortunately, it was evacuated.

"Now what was she supposed to do? With nobody here, for some strange reason, how could she alert anyone of the stray smoke that appeared? And when was Gaston returning? Hysteric and confused, Jillian fell to the ground and began to weep like a child. Her arms wrapped around her figure as her wings folded closely, her being imitating that of a small ball.

"What was going on?"

Sonya was now out of the picture; she had to leave due to her prestigious family business, Ursula, which she was responsible for. It somewhat saddened Tsuna—and definitely Jillian—that the kind-hearted girl wasn't going to make anymore appearances, nevertheless, the narrative can revert back to Jillian and Gaston, who was also upset about the departure of his beautiful redheaded friend.

Speaking of which, the orange-hooded boy's girlfriend was rather attractive as well. Tsuna sighed, knowing that girls like her could achieve having any kind of guy they desire—but why the jogger of all people? It would have made sense if she went for guys like Gaston—tall, dark, and handsome. The orange-hooded boy appears more as a jock who was dedicated to his sport—whatever the sport was. She didn't know what his personality would be like, but she was quite sure that he wasn't anything at all like Gaston. In fact, he might as well be the stark opposite of Jillian's caretaker.

What was so great about the orange-hooded boy anyway? What was so charming about him? What does he do? What Tsuna had witnessed was that he would run and run...and flash a smile and deliver a wave. So she was still paranoid about that…but at least she overcame it and returned to reading on the windowsill where the lighting was absolute perfection. And from there, she would continue to see the orange-hooded boy proceed on his daily jogging, and there were a few changes to the routine—such as how he would now raise his head higher, hence giving her a clearer sight of his face, and there would be seldom times when he would look at her direction and smile. Just like that time before.

Tsuna adapted to the alternatives of the standard schedule. Whenever the orange-hooded boy would smile, she would stifle her reluctance and smile back. After all, it was the neighborly thing to do; she shouldn't be rude enough to ignore a friendly grin from a complete stranger who happens to run pass her house everyday. It was awkward to physically reply back to the jogger's gestures with an expression only. This merely made her want to speak to him directly, using verbal interactions instead of _smiling. _However, she was hesitant of doing something so straight-forward, and just thinking that she would do an act such as that made her feel slightly silly—what would she say to him anyway?

""What's going on?" Gaston shouted.

"We're under attack!" the man exclaimed. "One of the coaches ordered everyone to evacuate the building immediately."

"Under attack?" the boy parroted incredulously. "Who's attacking us?"

"I don't know, but we better get moving!" The man then scurried along with the other people hastily making their way out through the exits. Gaston grounded his teeth and bolted the opposite direction where Jillian was.

When he returned to the corridors, thick black smoke drifted heavily on by, blocking his view and irritating his eyes. He ducked below and crawled underneath, holding his breath and closing his eyes. He continued to go onward until he felt the wall of the other side and stood up against it. Gaston opened his eyes and quickly peered his surroundings; in amidst the hall stood out white wings—Jillian's wings.

"Always giving me trouble, Gaston thought. The humanoid fraud who tries to adapt into her surroundings as if she was one of them. How meddlesome. He ran and snatched the girl's arm and hoisted her up. "Come on, we're going.""

Surely she would bore him with her words nonetheless. That's how it was when she was a student at her old school; people grew bored of her instantly. This was one of the reasons why she had nicknamed as Dame-Tsuna, the girl who was no good at anything, excluding failure. And if this occurred in her previous school, then what would differ if she went to another school? Eventually the population would disregard of due to her lack of speech. Tsuna sighed in thought. How was it that she couldn't obtain anything while others easily can? It doesn't make sense.

Jillian is such a lucky girl. Depsite her not actually being human, she didn't had the burden of not being able to exchange words—even though she didn't have the ability to talk. But she still managed to have fun with Sonya and the coaches and the others, with the exception of Gaston, of course. Yet surely Gaston and Jillian would enjoy one another's company; their relationship has yet to develop. And the development is quite obvious: Gatson went back to retrieve Jillian. He could have purposely abandoned her in order to escape from his current occupation, however, the thought never occurred to him and he reacted upon his own impulse.

That clearly shows the evolvement of the two individuals' connection strengthening, and gives the story a more intriguing expansion. It just excited her of what was going to happen next. Tsuna wasn't even at the half part of the book, yet her love for the story had not diminished, just increased. However, the vocabulary was rather tiresome; how was she supposed to know what "cantankerously" meant? Therefore the dictionary is a must. Cantankerously: bad-tempered; quarrelsome.

Tsuna closed the book and yawned. It was time to sleep.

* * *

"Gaston grinded his teeth, but made no movement. The bloody gap that formed from the swipe of the thief's knife reminded Jillian of the same gash that the man with the white coat had—the same scientist who Gaston had killed ruthlessly. She tentatively stepped forward and elevated her fingers against the wound on his shoulder; the red fluid then painted her pale finger and caused her eyes to widen incredulously.

"Gaston whipped his attention to the girl and snarled, "Are you an idiot?"

"Jillian paid no heed; she was entirely focused on her tainted finger. Gaston growled but steadied himself before he would loose his temper again. He stood up, ignoring the impulse to howl from the pain, and dragged her by the wrist to the washroom. He thrust her arm into the sink and turned on the water, washing away the blood. Jillian flinched from Gaston's usual brash behavior; she will never be able to adjust to it.

"Suddenly, he glared at her. "You really are an idiot. The stupidest and ugliest creature I have ever laid my eyes on. You're lucky that you're here rather than out there where the other unlucky saps are."

"Her lower lip quivered, but she did not show it; her head was already ducked for she was too afraid to see the black, cold eyes that Gaston owned. His stare was even more frightening when he was agitated or angered. But back when he wasn't riled up with his temper, when he was sitting and resisted the slash that embedded itself into his flesh, his eyes were not obscured by hatred or arrogance, but rather concentration—of deep thought. Unfortunately, she disturbed that somewhat peace of his due to her strange wonderings of his wound," Tsuna read.

Tsuna's mother had entered her room before she had ended the paragraph. The woman set the bundle of sheets on the bed and peeked over her daughter's shoulder, examining the words on the page. "You have been reading that aloud ever since you first picked up the thing," her mother commented.

Tsuna scrunched her nose. "I just happen to concentrate better this way," the daughter said.

"So what if you are assigned to read in class but aren't allowed to make out a peep?"

"Well, I suppose my concentration would decrease, but I think I would be able to understand it than not blank out afterwards."

"That's what I always do whenever I read my science textbooks or history textbooks or—or in any other subjects. It's as if I'm reading a page full of scribbles!" her mother laughed.

Tsuna laughed as well. "I get that feeling too."

"Well, I guess they do that for a reason: to strengthen the use of description for students." Her mother straightened her back and collected the bundle to tuck it away inside one of the drawers. "It also helps improve just before they have essays to write."

"That's what you said before when I started reading this book."

"I did, didn't I?" She grinned. "How do you like the book?"

"It's awesome! Way better than the other books I read before." Tsuna tapped her lips while thinking. "It might be due to how I am actually taking the time reading than skimming, as to why I find it so enjoyable. Or maybe it's the way the writer had caught my interest, leading to how absorbed I am to the story," she explained. "Either way, this has got to be the best book ever."

"Well I certainly am glad that you managed to find something to do in your break. But shouldn't you at least go out for fresh air than being cooped inside all day?"

"Mom, I just went out recently."

"Yes, but only for thirty minutes. Plus, you even brought along that book!" she sighed, shaking her head. "It's great that you're reading, but you shouldn't get too obsessed with it."

Tsuna raised an eyebrow. "Obsessed?" she repeated.

"Oh, you know what I mean! Anyway, after I put away the laundry, I'm going to your new school to get you registered. Wanna come?"

"I'll pass," Tsuna said, bringing the book closer to her face.

Her mother pouted and placed her hands on her hips. Then she smiled and said, "I'm going shopping afterwards and since you're going to start a new school year, I should buy some bras for you."

Tsuna slammed the book down. "You wouldn't."

"You know, the last time I went to the clothing store, I saw this cute pair of underwear; there were designs of a cartoony lizard and a pig with frills and hearts!"

"Mom!" she cried desperately. "Please! Remember the last time you bought underwear for me?"

"But you weren't there so I had to pick for you," her mother said.

"Fine!" she groaned. "I'll come to the stupid school and to the stupid store."

The smile on her face widened. "Yay!"

* * *

Before they went out, Tsuna's mother told her not to bring the book along. Though she protested that she should finish the chapter, she followed the orders nevertheless. Tsuna already predicted it to be rather boring; staying home while reading _Journey To The Sun _would be more diverting than this. However, with her mother not aware that her daughter did not like the overly cute type of clothing, she had no choice but to accompany her.

It was devastating. Her mother bought her dresses that were too extravagant for her liking. A hoodie and shorts was more suitable for her while a blouse and a frilly skirt was not. It wasn't as if she didn't have the confidence to wear them, but more like she didn't feel comfortable wearing such attire. That was how Tsuna left the house, wearing something that she feels comfortable in. If she didn't have breasts and have her hair cut, someone might consider her as a boy. In this case, someone might consider her as a tomboy, or one who do not own feminine wear, or one who didn't have much taste in fashion. Either way, it didn't mean much to Tsuna. The only time she goes out is because of school, mail, or errands; what would pretty clothing do much anyway? Besides, a school uniform should be girly enough. It has a skirt.

Speaking of which, Tsuna wondered what Namimori Middle School's girl uniform would looks like. Would it be designed like her old school's uniform? Would it be different? If it was different, how different would it be? What color would it be? Would the tie be formal or laced? Would it look good on her? She thought for a moment, and then shrugged it off. There's no point wondering about it; she would see it by the time she returns home.

She and her mother walked inside the office of the school and were greeted by the principal. Before the two adults would commence their conversation, the principal urged Tsuna to venture around the school to get a visualization of what the hallways would be like. She decided to go for it; it might lessen chances of getting lost on her first day.

"Oh, and if there is a boy wearing the school uniform confronting you, tell him that you have my permission of being here," said the principal.

"Hai," Tsuna replied.

As she exited the office, she thought, there's a student here during break? What is he doing here? Taking extra lessons so he wouldn't repeat a grade? Weird.

She climbed up the stairs, down the stairs, walked slowly in the hallways, idly skipped in the hallways, and would sometimes pause to look out the window. Through her expedition, she found the building to be quite similar to her old school. Well, at least she wouldn't get lost on her first day.

Out the window, Tsuna saw the fields of where the school would likely have P.E at. Next to the fields was a baseball field in which is already occupied with boys and a coach. They were probably practicing before school would begin. She scrutinized each player to see if any were about her age; perhaps they might be in her class as well. Maybe one of—

"Oi, herbivore."

When she turned around and faced the person, the first thing that came to her mind was Gaston.

She blinked, rubbed her eyes, and blinked again. It was…It was the Japanese version of Gaston!

The boy narrowed his dark eyes. "What are you doing here?"

"I…" Tsuna, surprised, could only stare at the boy before her. If she were to compare the heights between the orange-hooded boy and this Gaston-look-alike, she would say that the Gaston-look-alike is an inch or two shorter. However, despite the little difference in height, Tsuna had a fearful sensation that churned her stomach while the eyes of the boy glared at her. Like the orange-hooded boy, she had an intuition that this boy held a dedication and was indeed strong. But there was a threatening aura that he emitted, which frightened Tsuna. The tonfas in his hands were the addition to his daunting façade. She hesitated, but continued her trailing sentence. "…came with my mom. Um, the principal gave me permission to—to look around the school since I'm new."

He raised an eyebrow, apparently skeptical. "Then where is your slip?"

Slip? "I—He didn't give me one…"

"So you dare trespass school grounds without a notification?" Suddenly, his position was in an opposition stance with his weapons situated eye leveled. "Herbivores who break the rules are meant to be disciplined."

Tsuna gasped and shook her head hastily, her hands waving along in her mild hysteria. "N-no! The principal told me that if there was a boy here, then I should tell him that he gave me permission to be here! You can ask him yourself," she explained desperately.

"If you did have permission, then you would have had a notification, herbivore."

"But he really did give me permission!"

"Quiet," he ordered. "I grow weary of you pathetic insisting. Prepare to be bitten to death."

The Gaston-look-alike, from what Tsuna witnessed before her eyes were closed shut, had his foot lifted forward as his other foot was pushing him off—lunging towards her. She instinctively elevated her arms over her face as her head was inclined. A small "Hiii!" was heard from her lips and the take off of the departure of the boy's black shoes and the floors. As she waited for a violent thrashing, she felt a hard thump on her head. She looked up to see the boy almost invading her personal space, and his arm was above her. When he pulled his arm back, the tonfa was visible.

"Break the rules again and I won't be so easy on you, herbivore," the boy said. When he turned away, the black uniform that was on his shoulders swished; it reminded Tsuna of a cloak. She blinked. A black-cloaked boy? Wait—wait—wait, what happened? Her hand smoothed the area where the silver weapon made contact with her head.

So…he hit her on the head with his tonfa…

Then was that dramatic pounce really necessary?

* * *

"What did it matter if she vanished? Gaston obviously detested her presence. He snaps at her. He glares at her. And he would even inflict pain upon her if it wasn't for the coaches being the authorities of the organization. So what did it matter? The others might be fretting of her disappearance; however, Gaston would be most pleased to have rid of her. Well, if he young man enjoys it so much, she _shall _stay put and away from him. No longer would she have to play the role as a burden…to Gaston…

"Jillian brought her knees against her chest and buried her face. Her wings ached because of the cramped space, but she didn't mind. She needed to stay here till the rain clears and till Gaston had his blissful moments without her existence disturbing it. She let out a soft sigh and tilted her head so that it was against the hollow end of the hole. The soil crumbled slightly and layered her hair, but she disregarded it. Sonya wasn't here to lecture her of how to keep her hair pretty anyway."

Tsuna skimmed down a few paragraphs, and read, "The boy was as old as Gaston with a slightly taller and muscular frame; however, his eyes were not at all sharp and cold, but almost to be emanating a reassuring spell. His hair was a fair copper whilst his smile complimented his gentle amber-golden eyes; Jillian immediately felt secured by his mere presence and the kindness he emitted. And then he spoke; his voice was a deep rumble that did not required an unpleasant snapping remark that often caused her to flinch. In fact, his voice was soft and alluring compared to Gaston's frequent irate responses, even if he spoke with a low melodic tone.

"He held out his hand, a gesture that Jillian grew familiar of. She warily accepted his hand, and their fingers interlocked simultaneously. The warmth of his large palm melted the chilled skin of Jillian's, thus her attentiveness lessened and her fright deceased. She knew that he wasn't someone to be afraid of.

"Then he spoke that soft voice of his again. "You know, you really did make everyone panic when you vanished. Ah, but what does it matter? You don't even understand what I'm saying." Then the young man chuckled.

"Jillian owlishly blinked as her head tilted.

"He shook his head and smiled, slowly hoisting the winged girl up. "Well, anyways, I'm Boric, your temporary guidance till Gaston returns.""

She shut the book and placed it down on the windowsill. Another new character had made an appearance. So far there are the adolescent individuals: Jillian, Gaston, and Sonya. The youthful coach who often assists Jillian and Gaston, making his supporting role an importance to the main characters, was Eustace. Orrick was a specialist when it comes to combat and daggers, and Knox was a skilled gunner; these two were partners who had the occupation as security and fortification. (Tsuna thought Orrick as a hilarious figure; he's so hyperactive, which brings much annoyance to Knox—the calmer of the two.) And now there is a boy named Boric.

Such unique characters enhancing the diversion of the book, and she wondered who this Boric was like. She wanted to read more, but it was late and she was exhausted, especially after what happened today. Her mother dragged her from section to section, happily talking about how adorable this underwear was and how cute this bra was. It was hectic. Though the incident with the black-cloaked boy was rather tiring, in which made her reluctance about the school. If that boy attended at Namimori Middle School, would that mean that she would see him the hallways? What if he was going to be in her class? Ugh. That would be horrible. What if he recognizes her when school commences? That would be horrible as well.

Never did she expect to see an actual figure of Gaston—the Japanese version since Gaston is European. However, while the appearance was an uncanny match, the personality was, well, different. Gaston has a temper and would not hesitate to snap at someone, but the black-cloaked boy maintained a stoic expression and a calm demeanor. Though both boys were indeed intimidating; Tsuna could relate how Jillian must feel when she first met Gaston.

* * *

**!NOTIFICATION****!: **Ah, in the end I couldn't help myself but place the black-cloaked boy in there. As many would know, the black-cloaked boy is Hibari. I can see him a great part of a Tuna Sandwich pairing; yes, the 182769 is an original, however, 332718 could work too considering how it is SempaixKohaixSempai. TEEHEE. Honestly, I wonder why this wasn't made! If it has, then why had I yet to see it? Maybe I'm not searching correctly. Anyway, now directing to _Journey To The Sun_, containing Jillian, Gaston, Sonya, Eustace, Orrick, Knox, and Boric. Why yes, each character has a relation with the characters outside of the book, despite the connection to be somewhat vague. Like how Gaston and Hibari would be similar yet Gokudera and Gaston share the same personality. Sasagawa and Orrick have the same personality, but their roles are completely different. As for the others, much more is to be revealed. Although I do say that their basic roles are rather obvious. See if you can match who is who!

**BTW: **For those who are upset about Sasagawa not making his appearance in this chapter, I apologize. Purposely, I pushed him away so that Hibari could make his spotlight. For those who actually liked Hibari making his appearance, I apologize. He won't be showing for a while; after all, this is about 33FEM27. So to make up for his lack of show, this chapter is dedicated to him. Somewhat. This chapter has been merely the first level of Tsuna's and Hibari's relationship in order for a one-sided love to initiate. It won't be a steady bond because of who Tsuna is meant to be with; it would be a simple crush or great admiration, but hints of romance is definite nevertheless.


	4. Chapter 4

Ever since her experience with the black-cloaked boy (the possible replica of Gaston), Tsuna felt rather weary. Just thinking about the intimidating boy stalking in the hallways of school was an unpleasant thing to visualize. Really, what kind of person would go around carrying tonfas and demand people if they were granted with permission like some sort of officer? It was as if he believed that the school grounds belonged to him, as if he held an authority over it. Which was ridiculous. Plus, he looked like Gaston! Or how Tsuna imagined Gaston to appear as. Well, the black-cloaked boy was the Japanese version of him.

Tsuna spat into the sink and gargled water. Once she finished brushing her teeth, she changed out of her pajamas and into shorts and a t-shirt. If she had any, she could have worn a dress, but she felt as though she wasn't pretty enough to wear something that wasn't meant for average faces. Though if she decided to wear one her mother would go to the extreme with the style nevertheless.

"Morning," Tsuna said, stifling a yawn. Her mother replied back, only hers was more cheerful. As the daughter sat down, the mother set her breakfast before her. As the girl was about to dig in, she asked, "Do you remember me telling you about this guy with tonfas who was going around inside the school building?"

"Yeah. Why?"

"Well, I was wondering if he had to take lessons during break or something. I mean, he was already wearing his uniform and carried weapons with him, which is kind of bizarre." Tsuna frowned as she chewed her food. "Did I also mention that he was scary?"

"Yes, you did," her mother said with amusement. "I forgot to tell you that he's the president of the Disciplinary Committee. The principal told me that he was rather devoted to his job."

Devoted indeed.

"It could be him patrolling the school in case of delinquents, I think," the woman continued, tapping her chin in thought.

"I don't even think delinquents would want to go back to school," Tsuna muttered.

Her mother shrugged. "Oh well. Anyway, I got good news!"

"What is it?"

"Well, last night while I was sorting the mail, I received your father's letter."

She blinked. "Dad?"

"Yup! He wrote that his job is meddlesome, he gets paid so little compared to the amount of workload he gets, sometimes he thinks he would die one day if he continued his job, and that he loves you and me! Isn't that sweet?"

"Regarding to the last part, oh yeah," Tsuna laughed.

Her mother laughed as well. "I think that one day he would come through the door and surprise us with a big hug. And then we would have smiles on our faces and hug him back. But it would happen once he gets a break from work."

"That would be so like Dad." Her father was an exuberant man who stood tall and mighty. He always looked out for his family, concerning of the two females' wellbeing. Sometimes he can be overzealous, revealing his extreme side. Whenever her father behaved in such enthusiastic manner, Tsuna felt as if she needed to crawl inside a cave and hide until he discontinued embarrassing her. To be blatantly true, her father was an imbecile; however, he can be quite clever too. "Did he write when he's coming home?"

"He said that it would be a surprise."

"Then he would definitely do what you predicted he would do."

Her mother smiled. "I hope so."

* * *

It was rather silly of Tsuna to cowardly hide away from him whenever he passed by her house. It wasn't as if she would duck below the windowsill whenever the jogging boy appeared; she would increase her focus upon the paragraphs and attempt to ignore him. However, these attempts were sometimes futile; her curiosity of how the orange-hooded boy was improving with his daily workout was becoming more and more overwhelming. There would be times where she would sneak a peek at him, and there would be times where their eyes would meet and she would quickly look away. There would be times where he would grin before and give a small wave. But Tsuna never answered to these gestures; she was trying her best ignoring him.

Why was she trying so desperately again? Well, the orange-hooded boy just _waved _and _smiled _at her without any regards. And again, he could be some creeper—which probably explains why he always runs by her house. Hmm…

Well, her reluctance would soon be diminished, and it started ever since her mother said, "Tsu-chan, can you please take this to our neighbor?" Her mother handed her a red Frisbee. "You know, the one with the little boy?"

"What? Where'd that come from?" Tsuna took the toy and gave the woman a puzzled look.

"Apparently, the neighbor's son threw it into our backyard. I saw him peep through the fence and the poor boy didn't know what to do. So I want you to go there and hand it to him."

"Uh, why me?"

"So that you can make friends, duh!"

"Mom, the kid's in elementary school."

"So?"

What good would it do when trying to explain things to her mother? So Tsuna sighed and went outside. She then looked to her left and then to the right, seeing if a certain boy wearing an orange hoodie was anywhere near. When the coast was clear, she went to the neighbor's house.

"Thank you for that, young lady," said the boy's mom when Tsuna explained that he threw his Frisbee into her backyard. "He came home rather sad; I guess that was the reason why. If you don't mind, could you bring it to him at the park?"

"Oh, not at all," Tsuna said, then wondering why she agreed to go through the trouble.

The woman smiled. "That's awfully kind of you. Thank you so much."

So Tsuna took another visit to the park. On her way to the playground, she took notice of a familiar boy—oh gosh, it's the black-cloaked boy! Tsuna stopped herself from making a peep, seeing the prefect dusting his hands. As she continued to tentatively stroll, she saw a human dog pile next to the black-cloaked boy, the grass splattered with blood and weapons.

Her gut tells her to quickly get away.

Wow. This was her second time seeing the black-cloaked boy and her first time was yesterday. Now relieved to get away from the disturbing scene, she reached to the playground, as she expected, to see the neighbor's son going down the slide. When she handed the toy to him and told him that she was his neighbor, he sneezed and said, "Thank you, lady!" and dashed off.

Her gut then tells her that the sooner she gets away from this place, the better. It wasn't as if everyday you get called lady (she wasn't sure if the kid referred her as old or just lady in general) and nearly get sabotaged by globs of snot. Oh well.

As she turned around, a particular boy wearing an orange hoodie was running by. When he saw her, a smile formed upon his face, and for some reason, Tsuna smiled back.

* * *

"Gaston was an inch or so shorter than Boric and had a lesser muscular feature than him; in comparison, he maintained a leaner build with a slightly shorter frame. Gaston's hair and eyes were black whilst Boric's hair and eyes were fair. Gaston was sharp-spoken and cynical whilst Boric had a calmer and brighter disposition. However, they both were orphaned, experimented, and once shared the same cantonment, hence the friendship established. Well, the canniness that Gaston emitted was directed towards Boric, who opened up to him quite quickly.

"The attributes both young men hold contradicted with one another yet were adjacent. Whereas Gaston was dark, Boric was light; Gaston was a lone wolf thriving by independence, Boric was a hawk soaring in liberation; Gaston was a pin, Boric was a cushion; Gaston was bitter; Boric was tangy; Gaston was a glare, Boric was a smirk; Gaston was fury, Boric was nonchalant; Gaston was not pleasant, Boric was pleasant.

"These were the notifications that the coaches had made in the duration of the two's training. In Jillian's case, she merely did not care—so far.

"So far Boric had expressed kindness towards her, but she was still reluctant about fully entrusting Boric. She didn't understand him, and yet he continuously talked to her as if she did. He brought her to his accommodations and welcomed her with ease. How…disorienting. Jillian was beginning to adapt to Gaston's behavior, but with Boric's personality, this might take getting used to," Tsuna read.

Tsuna's mother squealed, "Oh! Boric's my favorite character in the book! He reminds me of your father."

"Really?" She lowered the book and gave her mother a curious stare. "I don't find them alike though."

"Oh, well, Papa has his moments, after all. Sometimes he can be feisty like Gaston in a passionate way." Then she sighed dreamily. "And other times he would go on about his hopes and ambitions. Ah, I just miss those romantic moments!"

Her daughter raised an eyebrow and glanced at the cover of the book. "Sounds like I'm reading a chick-flick," Tsuna commented.

"Don't worry; the school wouldn't choose something that boys couldn't stand reading."

"Makes sense. By the way, do you know what this sentence means?" She pointed a section off the page.

"Which one, Tsu-chan?"

"Here, I'll read it. 'The attributes both young men hold contradicted with one another yet were adjacent.' Do you understand what that means? I don't."

"Well, what it is saying is that the two boys have a couple traits that are opposite, but some could be a little similar. Like when it described how Gaston is a lone wolf and Boric is a free hawk; wolves and hawks are basically the same thing because they are feared by other animals."

"What about Gaston is bitter and Boric is tangy? That's kind of odd."

"Gaston, as you know already, has a bitter personality. But as for Boric—he isn't exactly sweet either, but definitely not a bitter person. I think what the authoress was using here was a metaphor to describe the flavors of each character. When you eat something bitter, likely you won't like it. But if you eat something tangy, it's like a fun, rich taste," her mother explained, and then appeared to be satisfied by her answer.

Tsuna nodded. "I guess it says enough about how Gaston is a glare whereas Boric is a smirk," she said. "Obviously, Gaston behaves mostly on his anger and frustration. Boric is…I don't think he's cocky but, well, I don't know much about him."

"I forgot why Boric's a smirk. Something to do with the end of the story, I'm sure." Tsuna's mother smiled. "I guess you have to find out on your own."

She frowned. "There's a problem with that: I'm too impatient to wait for the end."

* * *

"Tsu-chan, can you go out and buy me a carton of milk? I forgot to buy some at the store yesterday," her mother said.

"I thought we had enough," Tsuna huffed.

"Sorry! It's all gone. Please, Tsu-chan? I'm busy at the moment." She pouted and swayed side to side.

"All right, I'll go. _Again_," her daughter sighed. "No need to use the puppy face trick."

The woman smiled brightly. "Thanks Tsu-chan!"

At least it wouldn't seem awkward for her if she does see the orange-hooded boy, anyway. Sure, he was quite a friendly fellow who would openly wave and grin at someone who he doesn't know. Plus, he has a girlfriend—probably. Or perhaps a female friend. A female friend who happened to be very familiar with the orange-hooded boy by her actions: laughing and smiling as if she was having the best date—uh, the best time with her friend. Or boyfriend.

Plus, after returning him a smile this morning, it sort of boosted up her confidence. Smiling at a guy who she doesn't even know? That definitely took her to a whole new level! Though would it be considered as flirting? Tsuna wasn't sure. In her old school, girls would often smile to the guys who they liked. Perhaps in Namimori, it could be considered as a friendly gesture. Perhaps that was the reason why the orange-hooded boy continuously shown her a happy grin. He probably wanted to welcome her to the neighborhood. And besides, why would he flirt with her? He has a pretty girlfriend. Or friend.

Tsuna put on her shoes and a jacket. "I'm off," she called.

"Oh, hold on. You forgot the money," her mother said, walking towards her.

"Oops. I did forget."

"By the way, I also want you to buy bread and bacon."

"Mom! You should keep a shopping list nest time."

"I know, but at least I have you here!"

Tsuna stifled rolling her eyes and smiled. "Yeah, can't imagine you surviving without me," she joked, pocketing the money.

Her mother smiled back and dusted her apron. "And we know how that'll be," she said.

"Well, I'm off. Later, Mom."

"Bye, Tsu-chan!"

By the time the door closed, Tsuna walked quickly until she was at the corner. Then she pulled out her book from her jacket and flipped to the page with the gun wrapper holding its place. "So close," Tsuna sighed. It wasn't that she was completely obsessed with the book; oh no, she just had to finish the chapter with her two favorite supporting characters: Orrick and Knox.

Tsuna, _in her head this time_, read, ""Yahoo!"

"Knox felt his eye twitch. "Orrick, please, if you don't mind—"

""Yahoo!"

""Orrick!"

"Orrick stopped just to turn around and look at Knox. "Yeah, Knox?"

""I am trying to do my work so shut up!"

""But how can I shut up when I'm having fun? Yahoo!"

"Knox raised an eyebrow. "By rolling stones?"

""Look, you refused to be a distraction for me so I had to find my own way of distraction, okay?" Orrick rolled another stone. "Yahoo!"

"Knox sighed. "How about we visit Boric and Jill?"

""Yahoo!"" she finished. Tsuna smiled, finding Orrick's antics to be as humorous as ever. Once more, she reread the dialogue and visualized Knox being irritated, trying to ignore his younger and energetic partner in vain effort, and Orrick grinning widely, jumping up and down like an excited child, and run around while screaming "Yahoo!"

"Jillian giggled aloud; the trickles of the water tickled her skin. Boric gave a hearty laugh. Again, he brought down his mighty fists into the surface of the water and created a wild splash, and again drenching the girl and her white wings, but she did not care. The way the playful sprays batted her feathers and limbs felt relaxing, and the droplets hanging on her skin and hair released the stressful confusion that she acquired after her stay inside Boric's cramped lodging.

"Boric grinned and straightened out his back, his tall height into full place. "All right, we should head back. I don't want you to get an illness from our play," he said.

"Jillian's childish smile was an indication to Boric that she still wanted to continue their fun. And he was right. Jillian ducked underneath his elbows and skipped closer to the center of the lake. The young man sighed but the smile remained in place. He decided to humor her by making a fatal attempt of catching the cunning angel." This time, Tsuna visualized a young girl with white wings, flapping water droplets off her feathers and running away from a young man, giggling and having a joyous time. The boy, equally, was having a fun time with the girl, despite her oddities of having wings and being illiterate.

As she continued to read, she stopped to reread another favorable passage. "Knox frowned. "Orrick, it would be best if you—"

""Ah, come on, Knox! You gotta chill out and have fun," Orrick said. He jumped on the sled with Jillian and Boric, and with the sudden weight and force applied upon the sled it caused a push to make it slide downwards. The ride was speeding quickly, making Jillian to giggle in delight and Orrick to cry out a "Yahoo!"

"Orrick's partner sighed, rubbing his temple. "Why do I have to put up with an immature brat," he grumbled to himself. "I wonder…"

""Come on, Knox! You got to try it!" Orrick shouted when he got off the sled. Knox pretended not to hear his partner, only wiping the lenses of his glasses.

""I think he doesn't want to try," Boric said.

""Jeez. What a party pooper. He never wants to try anything fun!" The younger male pouted and crossed his arms. When he saw Jillian eye him curiously and tilting her head, he said, "I bet you think the same way too. Right, Jill?"

"Jillian raised her head, tilting her head to the side. "O-Orr-Orrickuu!" she chirped cheerfully, a grin upon her face.

"Orrick grinned back. "Ha! Jill said my name but not Knox's!" he gloated. "She likes me better!"

""You know that you weren't the first name she said, right?" Boric chuckled, getting off the sled.

""I know, but at least it was my name instead of Knox's."" For an eighteen year old, Orrick was rather eccentric for his age. Tsuna found it to be amusing.

Suddenly, something pelted Tsuna in the gut. Considering how strong the force of the object was used to be thrown, it was strong enough to knock her down to the ground. "Oof!" she cried.

"Whoa! Sorry!" shouted a boy's voice. "Hey, you okay?"

Define 'okay'. "Y-Yeah, I guess so," Tsuna muttered, rubbing her stomach. What just hit her? She glanced down and saw a baseball rolling away from her.

"Oh man, I really am sorry! It was stupid, but there was this really annoying fly that kept buzzing around me, so I thought I could kill it with my bat, but the darn bug wouldn't stay still! So I thought maybe throwing a ball at it could scare it off, but instead it hit you! I'm so sorry!"

"I-I'm okay! Really." She looked up, seeing a boy about her age—probably older (he was rather tall, so she couldn't tell). When she saw dark hair, she instantly recalled the black-cloaked boy, but when her eyes met his concerned gaze the thought of the frightening boy subsided. In fact, now that Tsuna gotten a better view of the face of the boy before her, he was actually cute. Cute enough to make her embarrassed of doing something humiliating in front of him such as tumbling down like an oaf, even if it was him who threw the ball at her.

"That's a relief," he sighed, smiling. "I have to apologize once more. I don't usually ramble off like this, but usually I don't end up hitting girls. Pretty careless of me, huh?"

"Well, d-did you manage to scare the fly away?" she asked.

"Hmm." The boy glanced around, and then his smile grew. "Hey, I guess I did scare it away! Finally." He grabbed her wrist, hoisting her up to her feet. "That bug's been following me everywhere I go."

"O-Oh." Was this the first time a boy had actually intruded her personal space? "Well then, I'm happy f-for you."

"Really? Thanks," he laughed. Then he rubbed his chin. "You know, you look kind of familiar. Do you go to my school, Namimori Middle School?"

"I'm attending there once break is over," she said. She noticed the bat and ball in his hands and the sports-bag slung over his shoulder. "By any chance you play baseball there during the break?"

"Yeah, I do! How'd you know?"

Tsuna rubbed her arm. "Uh, well, yesterday I went to Namimori Middle to get my uniform and tour around the building. I think you might have noticed me walking in or out the school."

"Now that you mention it, I did see a girl with her mom there. I guess that was you." He scratched his head. "Wow, I sure made a wonderful impression of myself, huh? Don't worry, it won't happen again. Well, I'll see you at school. Maybe we'll be classmates or something."

"O-Oh, yeah! Maybe."

"I gotta you. Catch you sometime, ne?"

Tsuna nodded. "Bye."

The boy grinned. "Later!"

* * *

Still weirded out by the turn of events, Tsuna absent-mindedly drifted inside the grocery store. She picked out the needed supply and paid for the items, then headed to her house. On her way there, she took immediate realization: she forgot her book! It must have slipped off of her hands when the baseball boy had knocked her off her feet.

"Oh man!" she cried in a hushed tone, panicked. Tsuna sprinted back to the spot, and when she was there the book was nowhere to be found. "Crap, crap, crap!" Now how was she supposed to find out why Boric's a smirk? This sucks! Plus, how was she supposed to finish her reading assignment? Gah, this was absolutely horrible!

"There you are!" Unconsciously, Tsuna turned to where the voice was coming from, unaware if the shout was directed to her or not.

And actually, it was to her. And the one who called her was the baseball boy! He ran up to her. "I got something from you. I think I accidentally grabbed your book," he said, smiling sheepishly.

"Oh, gosh. Thanks!" She took the book from him and smiled back.

"You know, I think there is a bigger chance of us being classmates," he then said. "I was assigned to read the same book!"

"Don't all second-years have to read _Journey To The Sun_?" Tsuna said, blinking.

"Oh yeah!" He scratched his head and laughed lightly. "I forgot about that. Man, I cannot believe we have to read a book so thick! I didn't even start yet."

"I could give you a brief summary if you want," she offered.

The baseball boy's eyes lit up happily. "Really? Thanks so much!"

Tsuna's smile grew. "Of course." Then she proceeded telling him about the adventures of Jillian. She tried her best to make her summary interesting by using descriptive words. Perhaps this way she might be able to make the boy actually read the book.

And indeed the boy was enchanted. "Wow, I thought it would be really boring, but now it sounds fun."

"I think the book's fun to read, so you should give it a try," she suggested amiably.

"I guess I will." A grin sprouted from his face. "Thanks for that."

She nodded. "No problem. Well, I guess I'll see you around then."

"Yup. Later!"

* * *

Today was, well, interesting. She saw the black-cloaked boy again—only finding him to be participating in a showdown and was apparently winning, was called a lady (and wasn't sure if the kid meant that she was old), actually smiled back to the orange-hooded boy, and talked a random cute guy and managed to make him smile! And though she doesn't know his name, she'll see him when school starts.

Tsuna sighed and flopped onto her bed. "Thanks a bunch," she mumbled to the book.

The baseball boy was quite friendly and kind. He was considerate because he was trying to find her to return her book, and that surprised her. Would boys about her age really do deeds such as that? Likely not. He reminded her of Boric, somewhat.

And it was irrelevant, but Tsuna thought the baseball boy and the orange-hooded boy were alike. Of course, the baseball boy was much cuter, but she recognized a few similarities between them. Their hair was cropped short—short enough to not get hair in the way of any sport, they were tall, and obviously athletes. Seeing how the baseball boy played baseball—and nearly took the air out of her—and the orange-hooded boy always jogging—with a possibility of him being into karate due to his bandaged fists, they were strong.

And while comparing the two boys, Tsuna wondered if the orange-hooded boy would be like the jovial boy by personality. Surely he must be! When he smiles, waves, and looks directed at her, surely that would indicate his outgoing and cheery character. At first Tsuna was dismayed that she couldn't identify the jogger's personality, and perhaps his appearance. She thought he could be something like Gaston, but turns out he was not. But now she obtained her curiosity once again, wondering if the orange-hooded boy would be like the baseball boy. Was he laidback and friendly? Who knows.


	5. Chapter 5

**AN:** To my faithful readers: Thank you for sticking with me…even though there aren't that many of you guys. Anyway, sorry for taking too long and that this chapter seems too short.

* * *

Tsuna stared blankly at the wall.

Nana reeled back when she noticed her daughter and stood behind her for three minutes. When three minutes passed, and the girl had yet to do anything, Nana frowned at this. "Tsu-chan," she finally asked, "what are you doing?"

When the girl failed to respond, Nana continued. "Usually, you would be doing something, like playing your video games or reading…"

From the corner of her eye, the woman saw her daughter flinch at the mentioning of reading… Curious, she thought, and pursued on.

"Lately, I noticed that you don't carry around _Journey to the Sun_ book anymore. I assumed that you finished already despite you being a slow reader," she said thoughtfully. Then she shrugged. "Oh well. If you want, we can go to the nearest bookstore and—"

Suddenly, Tsuna let out a wail.

"E-eh?" What's wrong, Tsu-chan?"

"I lost it," Tsuna whimpered, drawing her knees closer to her chest.

"What was that?" Nana craned her neck so that she could hear better.

"I…I…" Tsuna took a gulp and burst out, "I lost the book!"

Nana blinked. "Is that why…? Oh, Tsu-chan…"

"I was reading in the park," Tsuna began, snorting up snot and tears, "and then this kid—remember the boy who lost his Frisbee?—accidentally threw his ball at me. A lot happened, and I ended up playing with him and his friends because they promised that they would return my book if I humored them a game."

Nana's lips formed an 'o' shape. Funny how children were bullying her daughter.

"A-and remember that black-cloaked boy from Namimori? W-well, he showed up, fighting off some delinquents. The kids ran away, and I stopped to look for it, and it just—just disappeared!" Tsuna sighed loudly into her arms.

"Oh, sweetie," the woman soothed her daughter, stroking her back reassuringly. "When did this happen?"

"Two weeks ago…"

"And you didn't tell me?"

"I thought that I could solve it on my own if I had gone out looking for it or bought a new copy… But it was nowhere to be seen in the park, and the copies were all sold out! A-also… I didn't want to drag you into the mess I made."

"Tsu-chan, you're so silly." Nana pressed a kiss on Tsuna's head. "But very kind-hearted. I know how much you loved that book."

"A lot."

"Yes, a lot. But remember, it was required to read the whole thing before school starts. You'll be tested on it."

Tsuna groaned. "How could I forget?"

"I'll tell you what. I'll tell you the rest of the story so you won't be totally clueless during the test, and when the store has it, I'll buy you a copy."

Tsuna's eyes went dark to light to dark again. "I like the sound of that, but I'm not so sure about the cheating part."

"It's not so much as cheating when the odds are against you," Nana said, winking.

The girl drew a skeptical look with the arch of her eyebrow. "Really?"

"Well, you know how I don't resort to cheating, but I don't think that I can handle seeing you mope any longer."

Tsuna rolled her eyes, but smiled nonetheless. "Thanks, Mom."

"No problem, honey. Now, what was the part that you last read?"

"The part when Gaston and Boris were about to fight for Jillian in the laboratory."

"Ooh! That's my favorite fight scene!" she exclaimed, clasping her hands together. "Grand and exhilarating, yet so conflicting due to the battle between two friends."

"Mom, the story…?"

"Ah, right. So, Gaston and Boris were taking their stances, swords held tightly in their fists…"

* * *

The welcoming ceremony brought uneasy tremors to Tsuna's bones as she gazed at the red banner that was tied above the stage. On one side were the teachers sitting next to each other, conversing calmly in comparison to the students.

Excited chatter filled the area, mostly coming from the first-years. The former students, the second and third-years, were less enthusiastic, yet they shared the similar sentiment of being enthused by the new year.

Tsuna glanced around her, anxiety pooling in her tummy. This was supposed to be her chance to make a change from being Dame-Tsuna to…to…well, to be anything that wasn't Dame-Tsuna. However, it was hard to say that she wasn't going to be prone to boundless clumsiness, especially since she was so nervous. What if her nervousness causes her to trip in front of everyone? What if she made a fool of herself before making a good impression?

She wrung her fingers and swallowed down her troubles. It was going to be alright. She would be able to make it. This wasn't going to be like Shimon Middle. This was going to be her brand new start at Namimori Middle.

When the welcoming ceremony was finished, the students were to be gathered at their new classrooms. The hallways were rather crowded due to the flurry of first-years treading in new waters. The older students, evidently, were trying to bypass the first-years or shove them against the walls. Tsuna had a feeling that the black-cloaked boy would not appreciate this.

Tsuna stumbled out of the way, but tripped over her own foot. She would have fell on her face if she didn't knock into someone.

Strong hands caught her arms. "Sorry," grunted a rough voice.

"N-no," she amended, "it was my fault."

She looked at and let out a small gasp.

It was the orange-hooded boy.


End file.
